


Underneath the Willow Tree

by trylikeafool



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Imzadi (Star Trek), Light Angst, Male-Female Friendship, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-23 03:40:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30049350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trylikeafool/pseuds/trylikeafool
Summary: The day after Picard reveals the events of the future he witnessed in "All Good Things," Will's having a hard time coming to terms with losing Deanna not only in that future, but also in the present to one of his best friends.
Relationships: Deanna Troi/Worf, William Riker/Deanna Troi
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14





	Underneath the Willow Tree

Will Riker’s eyes squinted a bit when the lights of the arboretum lowered and turned into a dusky hue. Ship’s night was approaching, and the arboretum simulated the changing light throughout the day in an attempt to keep the plants as happy as possible. It was always a guess as to what the weather would be, as Keiko kept the environmental controls authentic to Earth’s more tropical climates. It was always warm, but the arboretum rain showers were notorious for taking occupants by surprise.

“Commander?” Riker heard to his side. He turned his head from where he was sitting under a tree. Between some of the long willow branches, he could see the figure of the arboretum’s keeper, as she tried to make out who her visitor was.

“Oh, Keiko. I didn’t know you were in here,” he said with a half smile.

“Just finishing up some environmental programming for the week. Miles is on a big project in engineering the next couple of days, so I’ll be watching Molly and won’t have much time to check on things here,” she said with a PADD in her hand.

Riker’s eyes flicked down at the PADD and then back to her face again. “Ah, yes, I remember Geordi mentioning something about engine upgrades. Think we’re stopping off at Starbase 31 in a few days to pick up some new parts. Guess they want to be ready for it.”

Keiko nodded and tucked the PADD under her arm. “Sounds about right from what Miles told me. I suppose you’re waiting for someone?

Truthfully, he’d been off duty for an hour and felt restless. Not being one to plan his downtime, he usually waited until something came up. But tonight was turning out to be a disappointment. He’d wandered the corridors of the Enterprise, trying to appear busy, once he realized that he’d go stir-crazy by himself in his quarters. He didn’t want to be alone with his thoughts, and when he’d passed by the arboretum, he decided to see if he might run into another lonely - hopefully female - soul amongst the foliage. After all, this was considered one of the most romantic spots on the Enterprise D.

“I suppose I am,” he said, picking at some of the grass beside him.

“Well, I’ll get out of your way then. Have fun,” Keiko said as she gave him a little wave and left.

“Thanks,” he said to no one. His head thumped back against the bark of the tree. Those thoughts that he’d tried running away from had only followed him here. At least it was a more pleasant place ruminate.

The poker game the night before had been surreal at best. They had all gathered in his quarters as usual, but this time things were different. They’d all had the chance to experience what very few ever had – the knowledge of what was to come. For the first time in his life, Will had been confronted with the gruesome fact of Deanna’s death. Of course, it was silly not to think it would ever happen, but still he never had thought it would.

Then there was Worf. He and Worf had been close friends over the years, fighting along side each other in battles - both of a physical and spiritual nature. Will knew that Deanna would never approve of him and Worf quarreling over her no matter what the cause. But the thought of Worf and her together…

Will shut his eyes and swallowed hard. For several minutes he sat that way, trying to employ one of Deanna’s mind-clearing techniques to no avail. There was no way to silence his thoughts when they sprung from his heart. Giving up, he sighed and opened his eyes again. It was a little darker, but still a nice golden radiance that covered the arboretum.

Will let out a short laugh and shook his head. What in the world was he thinking? He’d never sat by and let someone else take what he wanted, right? Throwing another bit of greenery on the ground, he realized he couldn’t think of one good reason to explain why he was here by himself in the arboretum and Deanna was somewhere else waiting for Worf to get off duty.

Riker looked up and saw nothing but a canopy of willow branches guarding him against whatever else threatened to turn his life upside down. He’d had plans for the two of them - him and Deanna. Recently, he had begun to understand that life consisted of more than promotions and protocol. All he knew is that he wanted Deanna in his life, even if it meant that he would have to wait a little bit longer until she was ready.

Now, after all that had happened, he began to wonder if she ever would be ready to have any sort of romantic relationship with him again. He’d tried a couple timesto renew their romance only to be told “not while we’re serving on the same ship.” At the time, it made some sense. Two officers dating while also serving closely together could be a problem in more ways than one. Until now, he’d always pushed back that nagging feeling that she was using that as an excuse. But when Deanna had let him know a few days ago in the conference room at she and Worf were together, he knew without a doubt it was an excuse. For whatever reason, she’d closed the door on the possibility of them crossing that boundary of friendship they’d put in place.

Riker blew out a sigh and threw the remainder of his grass pickings to the ground beneath him, a little more forcefully than he’d intended. He’d made a gentleman’s agreement with Worf last night that he wouldn’t interfere for the sake of their friendship and his friendship with Deanna. He didn’t want to turn into a bitter old man, the way the Captain had described him in the future.

“Will?”

Riker snapped his head around and saw Deanna’s face practically upside down peeking below the long branches of the tree. Her hair was dangling towards the ground and her face was becoming decidedly red. The sight caused him to smile, crossing his arms in front of him. The more he thought of his current position the more embarrassed he got by the second. It’s not often that you see a grown man hiding and sulking under a willow tree. Still, he held his ground. “Your face is turning red,” he offered.

“Well, if you weren’t under a willow tree I wouldn’t have to talk to you upside down,” Deanna said with a smirk.

“My apologies.” Will climbed out from underneath the branches.

Deanna stood back up and brushed a few stray remnants of the tree limbs from his blue shirt as he joined her on the walkway. For the first time, Deanna realized amusingly that he never seemed to wear another color other than blue. It did match his eyes, and looked incredible on him she had to admit. 

Will saw her looking at his attire with a peculiar expression on her face. “What?” he asked.

Deanna shook her head, “Nothing. I was just thinking of how you always wear blue.”

Will smiled self-consciously and smoothed his fingers over a sleeve. “Yeah, well, I guess it’s because someone told me once how well it suited me.”

Deanna smiled at him and leaned forward, resting her hands on his chest, “It does suit you. It brings out your eyes.”

“My eyes…” Will echoed looking into hers. She was still leaning into him and he couldn’t help but brush back a stray hair that had fallen out of place because of her rather precarious position a minute ago.

Deanna’s face instinctively sought out the curve of his palm as it passed her cheek. He held his hand there willingly for a moment, reveling in the sensations they rarely allowed each other to feel. “They were what I first noticed about you,” Deanna said softly.

Will arched an eyebrow and brought his hand back down. “My eyes? We were both naked and my eyes were the first thing you noticed?”

Deanna smirked and pushed back against him, “Yes. Contrary to where ‘your’ eyes were going, I just couldn’t resist those baby blues.”

Will chuckled, shuffling his feet. “My eyes very much appreciated where they were going,” he said as he looked her up and down. He made sure to let her know that they still did appreciate her every bit as much as they did then.

Deanna’s gaze was one of reproach, but he knew she would let him get away with it. “So, what exactly were you doing under the tree?”

“The tree?” Will asked innocently. He watched Deanna cross her arms and take a deep breath. Will pursed his lips and looked up at the simulated sky which was quickly turning to twilight. “I was inspecting it for bugs. They really do become a problem this time of year.”

Deanna gaze lingered on him for a moment, as if deciding whether to play along with his banter, or address the emotions he was attempting to hide from her. Dropping her arms, she saw a stone bench behind Riker, and moved to sit down. She relaxed and closed her eyes briefly before opening them again and looked squarely at him. “So, what are you doing all by yourself in the arboretum? Usually you have a companion.”

Will shrugged again and gently kicked a small rock that had found its way onto the concrete path. “I actually came in here to find a lovely young lady to spend the evening with,” he gestured around him, “but as you can see, I’m all out of luck. That is until you came in here.”

Deanna smiled and shook her head, “Seems that you’re still out of luck, Commander. I’m here waiting on my companion to arrive. He had to work late so we decided to just meet here.”

Will’s heart fell, but he smiled at her nonetheless. “Ah. Well, I’m to blame for him having to work late. There’s a weapons drill scheduled for tomorrow and there were a few loose ends to tie up.”

“So, you’re the culprit,” Deanna said with a lilt of humor in her voice and a hint of a smile on her face.

Will raised his hands in defense, “The Captain was the one who ordered it, not me. I just make sure things are squared away.”

“All right, I’ll let you off just this once,” she said. Deanna tucked her hands under thighs and offered a soft smile. He took that as a silent invitation to sit next to her. The bench was a small one and for both of them to fit comfortably, Will put his arm across the back. Deanna didn’t seem to mind. She never did. Normally though, she would snuggle up next to him, but this time she kept her distance.

“I was thinking about last night,” Riker suddenly said. Deanna unconsciously glanced at the door and he didn’t know if it was because she was waiting for Worf or because she wanted to extricate herself from the conversation they hadn’t had yet regarding certain recent events. Whatever the reason, Will in no way wanted her to feel uncomfortable. So he gently squeezed her shoulder and changed the subject in case she wanted an out, “He should be here any minute, Deanna. They should have finished up by now.”

Deanna turned back to him and smiled gratefully. They sat in silence for a few moments. On one hand, Deanna wished Worf would walk through the doors and save her from the conversation she and Will needed to have, but on the other, she knew that things would be awkward between her and Will until they addressed this change in their relationship. Not quite knowing where to start, she said the first thing that came into her head. “Last night was a little…strange,” she began, “and then the Captain came in!”

Will chuckled along side her as they both thought about the previous night. “I wasn’t sure what to think. He’s been acting different these past few days.”

“Wouldn’t you?” Deanna asked him. “Knowing what the future holds, having to deal with Q, being tossed between three time lines and having to keep up with the events in each. It’s a wonder that he’s as well as he is.”

“I’m not so sure. He did join the poker game last night. Not to mention the stories he told from his younger days.”

A pensive look crossed her face for a moment. “I think what he saw in the future – all of us separated and our lives so…unfulfilled – he didn’t want that future for any of us. It must have made him realize what we have now and that he’s missed out on so much of it. I only wish he’d joined our games a long time ago. It would be nice to know him better, when he’s out of his shell so to speak.”

“Me too,” Will put his arm around her shoulders again and hugged her to him. They had all realized last night what they had together. Will hoped that each of them would do their part to make sure that the future the Captain witnessed would never happen. But he had a special reason for not wanting it to happen. It was one that he now shared with Worf. Maybe if they could change the timeline by not letting Deanna get between them, just maybe she wouldn’t…

“Will,” Deanna said softly and put a hand on his knee. It wasn’t an intimate touch but one which was sure to draw his attention. She spoke again slowly, “Worf…he told me last night about what you said to him.”

Riker looked at the hand on his knee. Just for a second, he wasn’t going to respond, but he could feel her eyes begging him. He could sense that she needed to talk about this. After all, he did too. It had been hanging between them for days now, neither sure of what to say to the other, or if anything should be said at all. He decided that it would be best for both of them to just get it out of the way, regardless of how painful it would be for him to talk about her and Worf.

“I didn’t know that he…” Will trailed off and turned his head away from her, unable to say it out loud. How could he hand over the love of his life to another person and act like it was no big deal?

When Deanna instinctively moved her hand up higher on his thigh, Will closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Did she really not know the affect she was having on him this very moment? Of course, she had to know.

When she spoke again, her voice was quiet. “I didn’t realize that you were wanting…I mean it was a surprise when you asked me to dinner the other night.”

He let out an amused snicker but did not look at her as he spoke. “A surprise. We have dinner all the time together. Or had.”

Deanna ducked her head, trying to push through those guilty feelings of hers that were growing by the second. “True. However, when you asked me the other night, there was a hint of Betazed in your voice and that’s when I knew it wasn’t like all the other times.”

“Betazed?” he asked with a quizzical expression.

“You know, the way you used to ask me on a date when we were together on Betazed.”

Will smiled, “I didn’t know there was a difference.”

Deanna smiled sadly and removed her hand. She shifted in her seat slightly and glanced back at the door. She stared at it for several moments and Riker was certain that their conversation had come to an abrupt end until she finally continued it. “Worf was unsure about…pursuing anything with me without talking to you first. He appreciates your honesty last night.”

“Honesty my foot,” Will said. He’d been trying all night to keep his feelings to himself, but he knew there was no point with an empath sitting next to him. The realization earlier that he might have actually lost her for good this time also spurred him on. “Deanna you know as well as I do that I am not exactly comfortable with the idea of you and Worf together.”

“Will, you wouldn’t be comfortable no matter who it was,” she said gently. “I was never comfortable when you got serious with another woman.”

“You guys are serious?” Will asked as his head shot up quickly.

Despite the implications of their conversation, she had to smirk at the panicked expression on his face, coupled with the equally panicked emotion that he’d let out unguarded. “Yes, Will. We’re thinking about eloping pretty soon. I thought you could come along and give me away since I can’t think of anyone else better suited for the job.”

She watched as Riker rolled his head to the side after he picked up on her sarcastic tone. “You know,” Deanna said, bringing them back to their current plight, “Worf thinks a great deal of you and so do I. We’ve had this agreement for years about not interfering with each others love lives, and it never was much of an issue before.”

Will sighed, “We never had to deal with Worf before.”

“We or you?” she offered.

Riker felt a flash of anger surge through him, as if she was unfairly placing the blame on him for not being able to ignore his heart. However, when their eyes met, he knew she was right. As much as it hurt, he’d promised her years before that she was free to follow her heart, and he’d be happy for her. After all, that’s what it really meant to love someone. He was silent for a moment longer and then he rested his head on top of hers. “What do you really see in him?”

Deanna made a small sound and snuggled a bit closer to Riker. Will pulled his arm around her shoulders. “You know, my mother asked the same thing about you when we first started seeing each other.”

Will glanced down at her, “Don’t tell me you’re going to put him through the ringer like you did me? I don’t think Worf would appreciate losing to you in the tree hanging contest as much as I did.”

Deanna looked up at him, “Appreciate? As I recall you were quite a challenge, Will Riker. There were a lot of people who didn’t think we were well suited for each other. They thought you were too cocky and hard edged for me. But I knew better.” She pressed a finger into his chest, “You see, I saw something inside of you that no one else did. The way I see it now, you didn’t turn out so bad if I do say so myself.”

Will grinned back at her, “So, you see something inside of Worf that no one else sees?”

Deanna shrugged, “I suppose I do with everyone to some extent. But Worf’s different. He’s searching for companionship in the midst of people who don’t share his lifestyle. I think he’s given into his circumstances somewhat and is willing to try a romantic relationship within a different context. I guess I find that endearing…for a Klingon.”

“It’s a challenge for you, just like I was.” Riker began to understand her logic. He was about to continue with his next thought, but then stopped. He wasn’t even sure he should bring it up, but he knew he’d never forgive himself if he didn’t get to the bottom of it. “I guess I just don’t understand why you told me we couldn’t be together all those years because we serve on the same ship, and then you go head first into a relationship with someone else serving on the same ship,” he hesitated, and then summoned the courage, “You want to know what I think?”

“Hmm?” she asked, her head still on his shoulder.

“I think that was an excuse not to be with ‘me.’” Riker took in his shoes as he waited for her response. It was something that he’d wanted to say to her for years, and now it was out in the open.

Deanna lifted her head and looked down at his shoes with him. “That’s a fairly bold accusation.”

He looked at her. “Is it true?”

Deanna felt her eyes start to water and pursed her lips to try an hold her emotions in check. She let out a deep breath and let her teeth grab her lower lip for a brief moment. “I didn’t want to hurt you,” she said glancing at his piercing eyes, and then down at the knotted hands in her lap.

“So what?” Will asked with a little flourish of his hand. “You were just going to lead me on, thinking I had some kind of chance in the future when I didn’t?”

“I meant what I said, Will,” she said a little more confidently as she felt his rising frustration.

“What the hell does ‘not while we’re serving on the same ship’ even mean, Deanna? Obviously, it means something different for me than it does Worf.” Riker pushed off the bench, took a step back, and locked his eyes on her. Deanna’s face lifted to his.

“Worf has nothing to do with this.”

“The hell he doesn’t,” Will said.

Deanna stood and clenched her fists on either side of her. Her emotions had swung from guilt, to sadness, to now anger. She could feel her heart starting to beat fast and her jaw tighten. “You, Will Riker, are allowing jealousy to override your better judgement. What happened to being happy for me, or letting me make my own decisions as a grown woman?”

Will stared at her for a moment and then relaxed his posture a little. “I guess you’re right. Worf has nothing to do with this.” Deanna’s eyes narrowed. His tone wasn’t remorseful or apologetic, and his emotions hovered on the edge of egotistical. He looked her square in the eyes, “He won’t make you happy, Deanna.”

“How can you dare say that about one of your best friends?”

“Because it’s not about him. It’s about you.” Riker slowly walked around her and kicked another small rock off the pathway. It was fully dark now, with only the full moon providing light. Then one of the pathway lamps kicked on, illuminating them both in a soft glow. Deanna paid mind to the light for a second before shifting uncomfortably under Will’s gaze. He was still behind her, but she could feel him looking at her. She turned around and folded her arms, almost daring him to continue.

He did. “The thing is, I don’t know what it is. I don’t know why we can be best friends, but crossing that line back into what we had before…it makes me think you’re afraid of me, or that you just couldn’t love me like that anymore. When I saw you that first day here on the Enterprise, I guess I always thought that maybe one day…”

He trailed off and shoved his hands into his pockets, looking anywhere but in her direction. Deanna closed her eyes and let out a short breath. Her anger had transformed into a melting ache in her chest, as she watched her best friend, Imzadi, her…Will…lay his heart on his sleeve. He was all but telling her he wanted a relationship, and she realized that it wasn’t just jealousy he was feeling, but utter despair at losing her - to a mutual friend of all people. That was something new she hand’t felt from him before, and she could tell he was trying to come to terms with it as well.

She shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. “I’m sorry, Will.” What she was apologizing for, she didn’t know. Perhaps it was for not fully understanding what her best friend wanted, and for not knowing how dating one of their colleagues would affect him, especially after the excuse she’d used with him over the years…and it was an excuse.

Deanna couldn’t keep her distance any longer, and approached him, resting a hand on his arm. He still didn’t look at her. “I don’t ever want you to think those things - that I don’t love you, or that you’re not good enough, or that…I’m afraid of you,” she said, giving his arm a squeeze. “Will, it’s because I was so in love with you that…I am scared. Do you remember when Thomas came aboard?”

Will finally looked at her and silently nodded.

Deanna slowly rubbed her hand up and down his arm in an attempt to not only reassure him, but to keep his attention. “I told Thomas while he was here that it took me a long time to get over what happened between you and me, and that was the main reason I didn’t leave with him. I didn’t want to put myself through that again, and of course, you told me exactly what he would do.” Deanna gave a small smile and looked at the flowers on the tree across from them. “All of the conversations he and I had, I suppose I should have had them with you as well.”

“Would’ve been nice,” Will said. “Deanna, do you really think I’m the same person who would walk out on a relationship?”

“I don’t know,” she trained her eyes on him again. “I know you’ve changed…we both have changed since then. The truth is, Will, even you’ve been confused about what you want, so how am I supposed to trust that you wouldn’t put your career first again?”

“But it’s not like that anymore, Deanna,” he said shaking his head.

“Since when?” Deanna said, dropping her hand and taking a small step back. “Since Worf came in to the picture?”

Will opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it again. He had been about to tell her that he had been willing to commit to something permanent with her for years, but her question threw him off. Maybe it was more recent than that.

Now it was his turn to shrug. “I don’t know, Deanna. All I know is that in the conference room the other day when I asked you to dinner, you were absolutely right it was different. Only, it wasn’t Betazed I had in my voice, it was something new. It wasn’t even like all of those other times here on the Enterprise, because what I felt then was just instinctual. I don’t think I’d given much thought about what it would mean. But now…”

She felt a heavy ache well up in his chest, because she could sense it from him as well as her own. Now that she thought about it, he had approached her the other day with a sort of cautious seriousness that he only ever projected when he was hopeful and resolute for a particular outcome. Usually it was during a mission or a diplomatic meeting, but this time those feelings had been directed at her.

And while they had been passionately in love on Betazed, he had always kept an air of playfulness and open-endedness in their interactions. At the time he might have been as serious as a 25 year-old lieutenant could have been about love, but it had lacked the maturity that the 35 year-old man standing before her had somehow acquired in recent years. For a brief moment her heart leapt into her throat at the thought of being able to fully trust him, but the rational side of her mind quickly pushed it back down.

She wasn’t ready yet. These changes had snuck up on both of them, and they hadn’t had time yet to get to know each other under these new conditions. She had to know that she could trust him, and he needed time to prove to her that he was ready.

Will watched her expression carefully, and felt the moment she’d opened her heart and then closed it again. But she released all the tension she’d been holding, and when their eyes met, it was as if they were seeing each other for the first time all over again, except they had the familiar comfort of friendship to guide them this time.

Lifting his hand, Will brushed her hair back over her shoulder and let his fingers linger there. “I do want you to be happy,” he paused for a moment and then retrieved his hand. “I suppose Worf is the kind of guy you can trust. Loyal, committed, already a parent. I’d trust him with my life too. He’s a pretty safe bet.”

Deanna closed her eyes and stepped towards him, placing her hands on his torso. They slowly snaked around to his back until her body was pressing against his, her cheek to his chest. She felt his arms reciprocate and then his cheek on the top of her head. He knew she needed more time, and if she decided to spend it with Worf, he’d find a way to be patient. The close, physical contact caused their bond to flow seamlessly between them, and Deanna felt Will relax for the first time since she’d found him under the tree.

“We’re okay?” she asked into his chest.

Will let out a long breath. “Yeah,” Will groaned in frustration before pressing a kiss to her hair.

Deanna hid her smile in his shirt and then pulled away. “Don’t worry, Will. I promise that you will be the first to know if anything gets serious.”

Will threw her a repugnant look and she laughed not noticing the door behind her opening. A tall Klingon walked in and spotted them.

“Commander, Deanna,” Worf said.

Deanna turned and gave him a brilliant smile. “Hello, Worf. Did you get everything finished?”

Worf stood rigged like he usually did in the presence of another officer, however, he wore off-duty clothes. “Yes,” looking at Riker he said, “I believe you’ll find everything satisfactory, Commander.”

Will nodded, “I’m sure I will, Worf.”

Leaning up on her toes, Deanna kissed Will on the cheek and then joined Worf’s side. “Well, we better go.”

Worf was about to say something when Riker waved his hand. “No, I better go and leave you two alone. After all, I’ve got to find out where all the girls are hiding tonight,” he said with an impish gleam in his eye.

“Ten Forward,” Worf said. “There appears to be a birthday party going on.”

“You were there?” Deanna turned to him.

“I stopped by to give a report to Ensign Fletcher on the way here. It also seems, Commander, that she was hoping you would show up tonight,” Worf said, “isn’t she the one you have been seeing lately?”

Deanna threw a look at Riker and crossed her arms. Will glared at Worf. “Not exactly. More like she’s been following me around, hoping I’ll ask her out.” Deanna’s expression hadn’t softened, but he could sense a playful undertone to her emotions. After all, it wasn’t unusual for a young female officer to be pining for him. “Well, I better go and see if there’s any cake left.”

Will walked to the door, all too aware that Deanna was boring a hole right through his skull. But just before he stepped through the door, he turned back to her. “Oh, Deanna, I’ll be sure and let you know if things get serious between Ensign Fletcher and me. Maybe you can give me away at our wedding.”

He winked at her, a cocky grin on his face. The next moment, the door closed and Deanna burst out laughing, unable to keep a straight face any longer. She took the arm of the confused Klingon next to her and led him down the path, past the willow tree, and into the silvery moon glow of the arboretum.


End file.
